Cactus question?

My cactus is flowering for the 1st time in 12 yrs. Is that normal? Is it in trouble? It drops it's buds quick.


Question Details: My cactus is 12 yrs. old and potted. It's 4 ft. tall and is 2-3 inches in diameter with 1-2 inch thorns. It last sprouted 2 yrs. ago. For the 1st time, it's growing flowers, and I'm afraid it's dying. The stalks and buds bloom once at night, shrivel, then fall off. My 'baby' is important to me and I wanna make sure she's OK. Thanks!

Cactus question?
It is not unusual for a cactus to wait many decades before flowering. Most of the columnar kinds have to be around 8 to 10 feet before they produce flowers and this can take up to 40 years in the wild. Also, these sorts of cacti tend to bloom at night and the flowers only last 24 hours. Night blooming cereus types typically have large, white open flowers.





Cacti have roots designed to soak up moisture and then dry quickly. If the soil is constantly waterlogged, the roots can begin to rot. This will spread to the stem and the plant will fall over. One way to save a rotted plant is to cut off the top and let the cut portion dry out a week or two. With luck, the severed portion will send out new roots when it is planted.





Cacti have a growing and a dormant season. They are dormant most of the year and then grow an inch or two in the spring. Healthy cactus will grow a little every year. If a plant does not grow for many years, this is a sign there is something wrong. Try repotting the plant. Bringing it outside for the summer also helps. Be careful to gradually introduce it to the sun however or it can sunburn.



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